Cake and Spinach

Exactly one week after planting, we have lettuce and spinach:



If you want to see the wedding creation I spent my Saturday making, go here.

If Only...

If I had a dollar for every time in the last two days that I have either wiped Jack's nose or had Jack wipe his nose on an article of my clothing, I would be out buying new shoes.

It Works!

Matt moved the outdoor sensor for our digital weather station to the inside of the greenhouse for the fun of it. Current temperature outside: 36 degrees and frosty. Current temperature in the greenhouse: 61 degrees and rising. :)

Pocket Treasures

Matt called this morning, on another dreaded Monday of returning to work. He had just stepped out of his truck and was crossing the parking lot. When he reached into his pocket to stash his keys, he found several Duplo blocks (think Legos on steroids). He had left his coat hanging from the closet doorknob, and apparently Jack thought the pockets were a good place to store some of his toys.

This isn't a new trick, but it is the first time one of his private stashes travelled outside the house. Yesterday, I found a miniature John Deere tractor in my saucepan when I pulled it from the cupboard. I have found several wooden puzzle pieces in my utensil drawer, once found my hair clip (after searching the house twice) in the silverware drawer, and often have had lengthy searches for an elusive sippy cup, only to find it shut away in some cupboard or drawer. These are our everyday love notes from Jack.

I wonder how often I overlook love notes from God? Some days I am aware of that special shade of blue in the evening sky, the song of a Robin on a rainy day, the smile on the face of a stranger. But most days I am a bit robotic as I go about my tasks. Sure, a handful of Duplos in a pocket is a bit out of the ordinary, and sure to grab our attention, but how soon will those stashes become so commonplace that they no longer bring a smile to our faces? I want to travel through each day with the wide eyes of a toddler exploring his world for the first time. I realized today that those tiny toys hidden in strange places are really love notes from God- He just had to use one of His children to get my attention.

My Little Shop of Horrors

Someday, we will have a gigantic greenhouse that is heated in the winter for year-round fresh greens and other fun things. But for now, I am thoroughly excited about my tiny little house; it is only 4' x 6'! The framework was given to us by a friend, and Matt spent a few afternoons stretching plastic and strengthening the structure with cedar strips. The end result- my little shop of horrors, as I have dubbed it. I spent some time yesterday afternoon planting seeds: peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and spinach, several perennial flower varieties, and even some cantaloupe and watermelon, which would otherwise be impossible to grow in our climate. I am so looking forward to what will come. Check back here for updates on my experiments...

Squeaky Clean

And this little guy needed it! After a day spent outside with Daddy while Mama was away at a ladies luncheon, there was plenty of dirt under the fingernails to complement the bloody lip and scraped up cheek!



And for the fun of it I pulled up a photo from exactly a year ago for comparison.

Signs of Spring III